Sam Konstas’ bid to retain his Test place this summer will begin in India as he was named in the 14-man Australia A squad that will play India A in two red-ball four-day matches in Lucknow in September, albeit the squad has been selected with an eye towards Australia’s 2027 Test tour rather than the upcoming Ashes.Konstas was named alongside fellow Test opening candidate Nathan McSweeney and fellow teenager Oliver Peake in the squad. Promising Victoria opener Campbell Kellaway was also included among the batting group. Jake Weatherald, Jason Sangha and Kurtis Patterson, who all featured and performed well in the recent Australia A series against Sri Lanka A, were not included.Australian openers with previous Test experience, Marcus Harris, Cameron Bancroft and Matt Renshaw, were also not included in the squad. Renshaw has been on two Test tours to India previously while Bancroft has previously toured India with Australia A including making 150 in an unofficial Test in Chennai in 2015 against an India A team that featured nine Indian Test players.Related

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It is highly unlikely that performances in India against India A in September will have any bearing on Ashes selection with the national selectors already on record saying that the first three Sheffield Shield rounds will be of most relevance. The squad has clearly been selected with a longer-term view of giving younger players experience in Indian conditions with Australia due to tour there for a five-match Test series in January-February of 2027, when the composition of Australia’s top six may look slightly different with Usman Khawaja very unlikely to still be playing by that point while Steven Smith turns 38 in June 2027.”The subcontinent provides many unique challenges and the opportunity to utilise different skills with bat and ball,” chairman of selectors George Bailey said.”We hope repeated experiences in these conditions will assist players in developing an effective method and understanding of their game for future sub-continent tours.”Test offspinner Todd Murphy was included in the squad having taken 14 wickets in four Tests in India in 2023, including a seven on Test debut in Nagpur. Fellow offspinner Corey Rocchiccioli will also get a chance to impress having been to the MRF Academy last year and played for Australia A previously. Both men missed the recent series against Sri Lanka A due to short-term stints in county cricket in England.Left-arm-spinning allrounder Cooper Connolly, who made his Test debut in Sri Lanka earlier this year, will get the chance to gain some valuable subcontinent experience. Seam-bowling allrounders Aaron Hardie, Liam Scott and Jack Edwards were all included with the latter set to play for Australia A for the first time.Cooper Connolly will gain further red-ball exposure on the subcontinent•Getty Images

CA contracted fast bowlers Lance Morris and Xavier Bartlett were picked as was the Shield’s leading wicket-taker in Fergus O’Neill. Josh Philippe was included as the sole wicketkeeper in the four-day squad.Connolly, Murphy, Hardie, Edwards and Scott will stay on for the three 50-over matches but Bartlett, Kellaway, Konstas, McSweeney, Morris, O’Neill, Peake, Philippe and Rocchiccioli will play in the four-day matches in Lucknow only before returning to Australia for the first Shield round that starts on October 4.”For many of these players we remain interested in the development of their short-form cricket as well, but balancing out priorities meant we wanted them back and available for the start of the Sheffield Shield season,” Bailey said.”This provides opportunities for Harry Dixon, Sam Elliott, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Mackenzie Harvey, Tanveer Sangha, Lachie Shaw, Tom Straker, Will Sutherland and Callum Vidler who will play the one-day matches in Kanpur.”Fraser-McGurk was included after losing his place in Australia’s ODI squad and he could well get the chance to keep wicket for the first time in his List A career with Shaw the only other wicketkeeper named in the white-ball squad. Fraser-McGurk is being developed as a back-up wicketkeeper for the T20I team having worked on his keeping with Australia’s fielding/keeping coach Andre Borovec on recent tours.Captains have yet to be named but there are a host of options given three state captains in McSweeney, Edwards and Sutherland will tour while Hardie has also previously led Australia A in a first-class game in New Zealand and captained Perth Scorchers.

Australia A four-day squad

Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Jack Edwards, Aaron Hardie, Campbell Kellaway, Sam Konstas, Nathan McSweeney, Lance Morris, Todd Murphy, Fergus O’Neill, Oliver Peake, Josh Philippe, Corey Rocchiccioli, Liam Scott

Australia A one-day squad

Cooper Connolly, Harry Dixon, Jack Edwards, Sam Elliott, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Mackenzie Harvey, Todd Murphy, Tanveer Sangha, Liam Scott, Lachie Shaw, Tom Straker, Will Sutherland, Callum Vidler

The Yankees will live to play another playoff game thanks to some clutch and perfectly-timed heroics from none other than slugger Aaron Judge, who turned the tides of Tuesday night's elimination contest with a three-run homer that tied things up.

From that point on, the pinstripes came alive to not only take the lead but hold it all the way to the end of the night, finishing with a 9-6 victory sponsored by the momentum Judge injected into his dugout.

Speaking after the fact, manager Aaron Boone shared a meaningful explanation as to why he believes Judge can pull this type of performance out of the team.

"Who he is day in and day out, how he treats you. How he leads this group. He's the real deal," Boone said, asked what makes Aaron's energy so "contagious."

"As beloved a player as I've ever been around by his teammates. They all admire him, look up to him, respect him, want his approval. And that's just a credit to who Aaron is and how he goes about things."

Skill-wise, the competitive advantage of having a player like Judge on your team is hard to overstate. But, to Boone's point, it's obvious that his leadership and energy come in clutch, as well. Heck, even the Yankee Stadium ghosts are fans.

No. 99 might be infamous for his struggles to perform in the postseason, but he put those concerns on hold with Tuesday's win. Now, as New York looks to hold on come Wednesday night, we'll see if both his influence and play can do it again.

Searching for a much-needed centre-back, Liverpool are now reportedly prepared to take a key step towards their attempt to sign Nico Schlotterbeck from Borussia Dortmund.

Their chase to sign the Bundesliga defender comes as no surprise. Arne Slot was left with little choice but to play Andy Robertson centre-back in an attempt to rest both Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate against Crystal Palace. The season-ending injury to Giovanni Leoni left the Reds with just three senior centre-backs and only compiled their current misery.

Things could have been so different had they signed Marc Guehi, of course, but those at Anfield now face a battle to land his signature for free next summer. Missing out on the Crystal Palace star a year on from coming within hours of securing his arrival would be an undeniable blow.

Six defeats in seven games have exposed Liverpool’s defensive problems so soon after missing out on Guehi in the summer and they must find a solution in 2026.

What certainly doesn’t help is the contract situation of Ibrahima Konate. The Frenchman is yet to sign a new deal and is on course to leave Anfield as a free agent in the summer. Meanwhile, Virgil van Dijk will be into the final year of his deal at the same time – sparking a potential crisis for the Reds.

Preparations are seemingly underway for such a scenario, with names such as Dayot Upamecano recently mentioned as reported targets, but replacing both Konate and Van Dijk would almost be an impossible task.

One player who holds similar attributes to Van Dijk, however, is Schlotterbeck. The Dortmund defender has caught Liverpool’s eye and Michael Edwards is now ready to take a key step towards his signature.

Liverpool preparing to match Schlotterbeck demand

As reported by Bild in Germany and relayed by Sport Witness, Liverpool are now prepared to match Schlotterbeck’s wage demands.

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1

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The 25-year-old has reportedly rejected Dortmund’s €8m-a-year (£7m) contract offer and wants to earn in the region of €14m-a-year (£13m) instead, which would be up from his current €5m-a-year (£4m) deal.

That’s something that the German club are yet to match, but something that Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid are ready to hand the defender.

Money talks on the European stage and Liverpool will hope that proves true in the summer as Schlotterbeck continues to impress.

League stats P90 25/26	Schlotterbeck	Van Dijk
Minutes	450	810
Progressive Passes	7	6.22
Successful Aerial Duels	1.60	5.11
Ball Recoveries	5.60	2.33

Whilst there will be concerns over Schlotterbeck’s struggles in the air, his passing range more than makes up for that. Completing seven progressive passes per-90 so far this season, the Dortmund star would solve Liverpool’s build-up problem almost instantly.

Described as “underrated” by analyst Ben Mattinson, Liverpool should go all out for Schlotterbeck in 2025. Not only is he good enough to replace Konate, but he could even become their Van Dijk heir in the coming years.

Why Arne Slot was left stunned in Liverpool press conference before Aston Villa

أعلن الكرواتي كرونسلاف يورتشيتش، المدير الفني لنادي بيراميدز، التشكيل الرسمي لفريقه استعدادًا لمواجهة المقاولون العرب، اليوم الثلاثاء، ضمن منافسات بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

ومن المقرر أن تُلعب المباراة على استاد الدفاع الجوي ضمن منافسات الجولة الرابعة عشر من الدوري المصري الممتاز لموسم 2025-2026.

ويدخل بيراميدز اللقاء محتلاً المركز الرابع في جدول الترتيب برصيد 20 نقطة، بعدما خاض 9 مباريات حقق خلالها 6 انتصارات وتعادلين وتعرض لهزيمة وحيدة.

في المقابل، يدخل المقاولون العرب المواجهة وهو في المركز الثامن عشر برصيد 10 نقاط، بعد خوض 13 مباراة حقق فيها فوزًا واحدًا وتعادل في 7 لقاءات وخسر 5 مباريات.

طالع أيضًا | يورتشيتش: بيراميدز واجه مشكلة قبل مواجهة ريفرز.. وهذا ما يحتاجه إيفرتون تشكيل بيراميدز أمام المقاولون العرب في الدوري

حراسة المرمى: أحمد الشناوي.

خط الدفاع: أحمد سامي – محمود مرعي – محمد حمدي – محمد الشيبي.

خط الوسط: بلاتي توريه – وليد الكرتي – أحمد عاطف “قطة” – مصطفى زيكو – محمود زلاكة.

خط الهجوم: فيستون مايلي. بدلاء بيراميدز أمام المقاولون العرب في الدوري

محمود جاد – علي جبر – كريم حافظ – أحمد توفيق – محمود دونجا – مروان حمدي – إيفرتون داسيلفا – محمد رضا “بوبو” – عبد الرحمن مجدي

Liverpool aren’t doing so well this season. Last year’s indomitable air is a far cry from the tepid and toothless performances of the new campaign, with five defeats inflicted on Arne Slot’s side from six recent Premier League matches.

There is no way to sugarcoat it: that is so far below Anfield’s expectations that it beggars belief. Slot was so pained last season by that sole home defeat to Nottingham Forest, so frustrated by that stain on his copybook, even against the backdrop of a title-winning campaign.

But so many losses have become the norm for Liverpool this season, whose title defence is in tatters and whose focus is currently on establishing enough form and focus to recover a place in the Premier League’s top four.

Slot has got a lot to chew on before the November international break winds up and Liverpool host Forest in the top flight, a game they simply cannot afford to lose – again.

Aside from the lack of intensity and physicality in key areas and fragilities in defence, Liverpool’s widths have been well out of sorts this season, and this is something that needs fixing quickly.

Liverpool's struggles out wide

Mohamed Salah’s startling drop-off this season has been among the biggest concerns for Liverpool, but the Egyptian King has done it all before, and he will surely recover his potency in front of goal before his £400k-per-week contract expires in 2027.

More concerning, perhaps, is the form of Florian Wirtz, who joined from Bayer Leverkusen for £116m this summer but has yet to prove FSG have got bang for their buck.

The 22-year-old is clearly an incredible talent, but it hasn’t happened so far, with Liverpool’s wider tactical imbalances making it difficult for the playmaker to find a secure place in Slot’s line-up, flitting between the left flank and a creative berth from the centre.

Likewise, Cody Gakpo has struggled to impress. The left-sided forward has four goals and three assists across all competitions this term, but he’s lacked nuance in his expression.

It’s proving a tough ask for Slot to find a solution that will synergise this struggling frontline and restore Liverpool to their former level.

However, one Redman has enjoyed quite the impressive display for his nation in a World Cup qualifier this week, and in a position which could reshape his role at Liverpool over the coming months.

Slot may have his left wing solution

So much has gone wrong at Liverpool this season, but the form of Hugo Ekitike since joining from Eintracht Frankfurt for an initial £69m this summer cannot be counted among the negatives.

Ekitike is a striker, and was signed as such, but he played out on the left wing for France on Thursday evening as Didier Deschamps’ side defeated Ukraine 4-0 in their penultimate World Cup qualifier, with reporter Bence Bocsak praising his “very impressive” effort, having earlier noted that the star’s slickness and skill on the ball “reminds me of Bobby Firmino”.

Could it be that Liverpool have their left wing solution right here? This is hardly revelatory, but the dynamic forward has proved he has what it takes to produce a show-stopping performance from out wide here, and there’s a case to be made that he offers more than Gakpo does when in the role.

Indeed, were Ekitike to play from the left with regularity, it would only impede Gakpo in his hopes of stringing many minutes together across the season and beyond, especially as he will be competing with Wirtz.

But the one-time PSG prospect’s display demonstrated his potential in the position, a menace throughout after coming off the bench in the first half due to an injury to Bradley Barcola.

It was a spectacular goal, the 23-year-old collecting and driving forward from inside his own half, skating past defenders and entering the danger area before playing a neat connection with Kylian Mbappe and then striking true.

Minutes played

67′

Goals

1

Touches

22

Shots (on target)

4 (2)

Accurate passes

6/9 (67%)

Unsuccessful touches

3

Dribbles

2/2

Recoveries

1

Ground duels

4/5

Ekitike might not have enjoyed much success by way of passing, but he demonstrated how effective he can be with limited opportunities in possession. Not only accurate when carrying the ball forward, but he was fierce in the duel and clinical besides.

This economical approach showed something that has been lacking on Merseyside this season: an ability to make chances count even when presented intermittently.

That is, of course, barring one Liverpool forward. Ekitike. The Les Bleus star has scored six goals and posted an assist since joining the club this summer.

Development is never linear for those entering the Premier League from overseas, but the way in which Ekitike has slipped into life in Liverpool is remarkable, given the circumstances around the club right now.

Should Slot take note of the striker’s performance against Ukraine and begin to hand him more chances out wide, it could help Isak settle in after his record-breaking summer move while easing the fears that Isak and Ekitke cannot cohabit in Liverpool’s starting line-up.

Slot has already followed this train of thought, suggesting several weeks ago that Ekitike’s technical and physical qualities make him apt for a prolific role on the flank, and now it can be put into practice, albeit at Gakpo’s expense.

Without question, Liverpool’s head coach will have been attentive to Ekitike’s performance on the world stage, perhaps more inclined forward to trial Ekitike in a wider role going forward, thus opening the door to a partnership with Isak and a new dimension that could help restore the side’s attacking strength.

If this proves an effective and long-term solution, it may well come at the expense of Gakpo’s stay at Liverpool for the long run, but, as the opening months of the campaign have told us, it is crucial that Slot identifies a way of playing that matches the incredible amount of quality teeming across Anfield.

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Southampton return to action in the Championship this weekend as they prepare to travel to Charlton on Saturday, and they appear no closer to appointing a permanent successor to Will Still.

TalkSPORT recently claimed that Sport Republic are ‘seriously considering’ appointing current interim manager Tonda Eckert on a permanent basis, after his first two matches in the dugout.

The 32-year-old head coach is set to lead the team out for a third game against Charlton this weekend, and another win would do his chances of landing the role no harm.

Why Southampton should not appoint Tonda Eckert

Eckert deserves credit for providing the team with an instant boost after Still’s departure, as he masterminded a 2-1 win over QPR and a 3-1 win over Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship.

However, it may not be the right time to appoint him as the permanent head coach because of his lack of experience in first-team management in his career so far.

Eckert had only ever been an assistant manager before his move to join the U21s as their head coach this summer, and he managed nine Premier League 2 matches before his two senior games as the current interim, per Transfermarkt.

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This means that Southampton have no evidence available to judge what an Eckert team will look like in 15, 20, or 30 games, or if he has the first-team coaching ability to lead a promotion push.

Earlier this month, Michael Carrick was named as a reported contender for the job, and hiring the former Middlesbrough boss could end the Eckert experiment at St. Mary’s.

Why Southampton should hire Michael Carrick

Unlike the German interim, Carrick would arrive on the south coast with bundles of Championship experience as a manager, which may be what the Saints need right now.

The former Manchester United midfielder, who was hailed as an “insanely talented coach” by former Boro player Lukas Engel, has been out of work since moving on from Middlesbrough at the end of last season.

Carrick also has the specific experience of taking over a team in a similar position to the one that Southampton are in now and leading them to a play-off finish, as that is what he did with Boro in the 2022/23 campaign.

Matches

16

30

Wins

4

18

Draws

5

4

Losses

7

8

Points

17

58

Points per game

1.06

1.93

League position

18th

4th

As you can see in the table above, the 4-2-3-1 tactician took over with Middlesbrough after they had a dismal start to the season, in 18th place, and led them to fourth and the play-offs.

Southampton are currently 17th after 15 matches, with 18 points on the board, which means that Carrick would arrive in an incredibly similar situation at St. Mary’s. This could make him the ideal candidate for the job, as he has very specific experience for the job that is required.

Some supporters may see that he finished 10th and eighth in his last two seasons with Boro, but the underlying numbers behind those two campaigns suggest that he was let down by his squad.

League finish

8th

10th

xPTS (Expected league finish)

73 (5th)

71 (6th)

xG

69.5

67.4

xGA

55.0

56.4

xGD

+14.5

+11.3

As you can see in the table above, Boro ranked inside the top six for xPTS in both of those seasons, suggesting that their performances were of a play-off calibre, but the players did not make the most of those performances to pick up the results needed.

This is why Southampton should not be put off by Carrick’s ‘failure’ to get Boro in the play-offs in the last two seasons, and is further evidence that he could be a major upgrade on the inexperienced Eckert.

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ByDan Emery Nov 12, 2025

Therefore, the out-of-work English manager could be the perfect hire for Southampton for the position that they currently find themselves in, as he has the coaching ability and experience to drive the team back up the table to fight for the play-offs.

Glasgow Rangers will not win a trophy in the year of 2025. That was confirmed when they were beaten 3-1 at Hampden Park in the semi-finals of the League Cup on Sunday.

Danny Rohl had won his first two matches in the Scottish Premiership ahead of this last four clash with their Glasgow rivals, but he was unable to mastermind a third successive victory in all competitions.

The Light Blues did manage to get to extra time, despite being down to ten men, but two goals in extra time meant that they were knocked out of the competition.

Why Jack Butland did not cost Rangers the result

Some supporters or neutrals may want to point the finger at Jack Butland for the defeat, because he should have done better with the Callum McGregor shot that put Celtic 2-1 up.

The shot seemed to go through the former England international and down the middle of the goal, but he was unable to adjust and prevent it from finding the back of the net.

Despite that error, Butland did not cost the Light Blues the game because they were only in the match because of his impressive saves. Premier Sports TV pundit and former Hoops manager Neil Lennon even described his performance as “tremendous”.

The pick of his saves, arguably, was his fingertip stop to deny Callum Osmand’s brilliant header that looked destined for the bottom corner, whilst he also made several close-range stops in the initial 90 minutes.

A Rangers player who was worse than Butland in the game was young left-back Jayden Meghoma, and he may be on borrowed time in the starting line-up.

Why Jayden Meghoma may be on borrowed time

The Brentford loanee was caught out for the opening goal of the game when he allowed his man, Johnny Kenny, to get the jump on him from a corner.

Premier Sports TV pundit Michael Stewart noted on commentary that Meghoma “never recognises the danger”, which seems to be a fair comment when you consider that the full-back had a similar issue against Brann in Rohl’s first match.

The English defender allowed Jacob Lungi Sorensen to get the run and jump on him for a goal in that loss, which led Ally McCoist to describe his defending as “remarkable” and “diabolical”.

Meghoma was even worse than Butland against Celtic because there were several occasions where he did not recognise the danger, as Stewart put it, and put his side, and Butland, under pressure.

The teenage full-back’s performances for Rangers in the Scottish Premiership so far this season also do not suggest that he has what it takes to be the first-choice left-back moving beyond the January transfer window.

25/26 Premiership

Jayden Meghoma

Appearances

7

Sofascore rating

6.56

Duel success rate

50%

Aerial duel success rate

25%

Tackles + interceptions per game

3.0

Error leading to shot

2

Possession lost per game

12.7x

Assists

1

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Meghoma only has one assist to his name to make up for the two errors leading to shots, and 12.7 times possession lost per game on average.

He has been questionable defensively, particularly from set-pieces, and has been wasteful in possession without creating much to make up for it, which is why Rohl should be looking to add an experienced left-back in January.

Meghoma is currently the only natural left-back in the first-team squad, as a result of the squad building by Kevin Thelwell and Russell Martin in the summer, and his underwhelming performances may convince Rohl to push for the club to bring another one in.

Therefore, the Rangers loanee’s place in the XI may be on borrowed time unless he can significantly improve his performance level over the next two months or so.

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One of the positions Manchester United have struggled to find the correct solution for under Ruben Amorim is at wing-back.

On the right flank, things seem more settled. Amad has put in some good performances this term, locking down his place on that side and forming a good partnership with summer arrival Bryan Mbeumo.

The left-hand side has been more problematic. Last January, the Red Devils bought in Patrick Dorgu from Lecce to operate out there, but at just 21 years of age, he is still inexperienced and has rightly had his game time managed.

That has meant Diogo Dalot has operated out there a lot.

Dalot's concerning form at left wing-back

26-year-old Dalot is becoming one of the most experienced players in United’s squad. The Portuguese defender has played 219 times for the club and offers excellent versatility, able to operate at both left-back and his natural right-back.

It is that versatility that Amorim has leaned into this season. Of course, the Red Devils boss infamously plays with wing-backs, and he has tasked Dalot with that this season. The United number 2 has operated at left wing-back more often than not in 2025/26.

In nine appearances across all competitions, the former FC Porto star has played five times at left wing-back. In his last four matches in the Premier League, Dalot has played on that flank.

Touches

42

43

Pass accuracy

83%

88%

Crosses completed

0/0

0/2

Duels won

3/5

3/8

Chances created

1

0

He does offer something going forward, at times. Last season, he chalked up this impressive assist against Fulham in the FA Cup from the left flank, with Bruno Fernandes firing home to cap off a good move.

Yet, United fans do seem to be losing patience with Dalot. Content creator Dev Bajwa said the Red Devils’ number two has “got to be dropped” and said his teammates are “carrying” him.

Well, a solution might well present itself for Amorim if he does decide to drop Dalot.

The Man United star who can replace Dalot

United certainly have options on the left flank. Dalot, of course, has been Amoirm’s first-choice in recent games, and Dorgu is another player who could slot in there.

However, one man who is yet to operate in that role this season is Luke Shaw.

Well, that is because the England international has played a starring role on the left of United’s back three. Of course, he is a left-back by trade, but has shone at left centre-back. That could all change soon with the imminent return of Lisandro Martinez.

The Argentine is close to returning to action after being sidelined since February with a knee injury. He is, however, a trusted lieutenant of Amorim when fit, and has started all 16 possible games under the Portuguese manager.

Martinez is now back in full training and could feature against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday. If he does come into the side, it could see a reshuffling of the pack for Amorim.

With the 2022 World Cup winner set to slot into the back three on the left, Shaw would be able to move to left wing-back.

It is a role he has only done 15 times in 297 games for United. He’s also played there for England, and scored the opener in the Euro 2020 final, a goal Three Lions supporters will not forget in a hurry.

Shaw once described Martinez as a “monster” so unleashing the £48m defender when he is back to full fitness makes sense. It also offers Amorim a chance to change things up, with Dalot struggling for his best form at left wing-back.

Playing Shaw high and wide, allowing him to get crosses into the box on his strong foot, is a move that seems to make sense for the manager. With the disappointing form and general misprofiling of Dalot by Amorim, replacing him with Martinez could make the Red Devils a more well-rounded team. It could finally spell the end for the Portuguese in United colours.

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Well, given the circumstances, that was an exceptional result for Chelsea.

Sure, Enzo Maresca’s side would have gone out there looking for a win, but considering Arsenal are the Premier League leaders, a point is not bad and has kept them within touching distance.

Moreover, when Moises Caicedo got himself sent off in the first half, it felt like only a matter of when, not if, the Gunners would take the lead.

There were sensational displays across the pitch for the hosts, including one monster that saved the Ecuadorian international from becoming the talking point.

Chelsea's standout stars

One of Chelsea’s best players this evening, and all season for that matter, was Robert Sanchez.

Chalkboard

The Spanish shot-stopper has come in for some harsh criticism over recent years, but against the Gunners, he was superb.

On top of his passing generally being on point and his collection of crosses being efficient, he also made several top-quality stops, like the one from Gabriel Martinelli’s shot in the first half.

Another hugely important player for the Blues was captain fantastic, Reece James.

The Englishman once again started the game in the middle of the park and was, in the words of presenter Olivia Buzaglo, “gargantuan.”

In his 94 minutes of action, he provided an assist, played two key passes, won 100% of his tackles, won 11 of 12 duels, didn’t get dribbled past at all, recovered the ball twice, and completed 100% of his dribbles.

It was just the sort of performance the team needed from their captain after Caicedo was sent off in the first half.

However, there was another starter who was just as vital to the win, and truly saved the Ecuadorian’s blushes.

The Chelsea player who saved Caicedo

Once Caicedo was sent off, there was an expectation that Arsenal would eventually wrestle control back from Chelsea and stamp their authority over proceedings.

However, the Blues clearly had other ideas.

Just three minutes into the second 45, James delivered an incredible corner into the Gunners’ penalty area, and Trevoh Chalobah rose to meet it and head it home.

It was a well-worked set-piece and a brilliant header that seemed to shock the visitors and gave the Stamford Bridge faithful something to cheer about and take their minds off the red card.

However, while that was the most memorable moment of his game, Chalobah did far more than just score, as he was superb at the back and showed some great on-the-ball skill, coming out from the back on multiple occasions.

He unsurprisingly made quite the impression on the watching press as well, with the Standard’s Dom Smith awarding him an 8/10 match rating at full-time.

The 26-year-old’s statistics more than justify such a rating as well.

Chalobah’s game v Arsenal
Minutes	94′
Goals	1
Tackles (Won)	1 (1)
Clearances	6
Recoveries	4
Ground Duels (Won)	2 (1)
Aerial Duels (Won)	5 (4)
Dribbled Past	0
Touches	52
Shots	1
Fouls Won	1
All Stats via Sofascore

In his 94 minutes of hard-fought action, the academy graduate won 100% of his tackles, made six clearances, recovered the ball four times, won five of seven duels, didn’t get dribbled past, took 52 touches and won one foul.

It was another performance from the Englishman that proves he’s more than just a stopgap until the club splashes the cash on a new defender.

Or, as Gary Cahill said in an interview that came out a few hours before the game, he is “the most underappreciated player at Chelsea.”

Ultimately, they might not have won, but Chelsea put in a sensational performance to claim a point against Arsenal, and alongside the likes of Sanchez and James, Chalobah saved Caicedo from becoming the talking point.

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By
Angus Sinclair

Nov 29, 2025

The balls used for this year’s men’s and women’s competitions are from the same batch used in the T20 Blast

Matt Roller06-Aug-2025The ECB has ditched a controversial batch of white Kookaburra balls that was blamed for low scores in the Hundred last year after consistent negative feedback from players.Scoring rates in the men’s Hundred dipped to 1.37 runs per ball last season, significantly lower than other short-form leagues like the IPL, Major League Cricket and SA20 despite the shorter format in theory lending itself to more attacking batting. Specialist new-ball bowlers like Daniel Worrall and Tim Southee thrived, and players anecdotally blamed the batch of balls used.The balls used in the first four seasons of the Hundred had the tournament’s logo – a large ‘H’ – imprinted on them, which players felt required additional lacquer and gave them a ‘plasticky’ feel. “The seam seems to be massive,” Moeen Ali told the . “Every game, it seems the ball is nipping. Most teams are 30 for 5 in most games.”Kookaburra insisted that they were made to identical specifications as the white balls used in other domestic and international cricket, beyond the logo, while the ECB commissioned an extensive study over the winter which found minimal evidence that the balls behaved differently to those used in other white-ball cricket in England and Wales.Ball-tracking data did suggest a spike in seam movement and swing at the start of Hundred games in 2023 (compared to 2022), which continued last season. This was attributed primarily to pitches, weather, and the Hundred’s unique format – which allows bowlers to bowl 15 of the first 20 balls – rather than any change to the condition of the balls.But the ECB has opted to ditch the Hundred-branded balls regardless, reverting to the same batch used in the T20 Blast for the 2025 season. Their hope is that the switch will satisfy players after consistent negative feedback and that the perception of less assistance for bowlers will lead to higher scoring rates.The change made no apparent difference in Tuesday night’s curtain-raiser, with London Spirit’s men bowled out for 80 by Oval Invincibles on a slow, low surface. “It was a tough wicket to bat on,” Rashid Khan said, after taking 3 for 11 on debut for the two-time defending champions.